USDA Wood Utilization Assistance Program
OPPORTUNITY:
The Wood Innovations Grant Program makes funding available to expand traditional wood use projects, advance wood energy markets, and promote wood use in commercial building construction. This Request for Proposals focuses on the program’s market development goals to reduce hazardous fuels and improve forest health on national forests and other forest lands, reduce the costs of forest management, and promote economically strong and environmentally healthy communities.
DESCRIPTION:
This Request for Proposals focuses on the following priorities:
- Reduce hazardous fuels and improve forest health in National Forest System and other forestlands.
- Reduce costs of forest management on all land types.
- Promote economic and environmental health of communities.
The intent of the Wood Innovations Funding Opportunity is to stimulate, expand, and support wood products markets and wood energy markets.
Projects can include, but are not limited to:
- Completing requirements, such as engineering designs, cost analyses, and permitting necessary, in the later stages of commercial construction projects that use wood as a primary building material and in the later stages of wood energy project development to secure financing. Early phase project development proposals will not be competitive.
- Developing manufacturing capacity, other necessary wood products infrastructure, and markets for wood products that support forest ecosystem restoration.
- Showcasing quantifiable environmental and economic benefits of using wood as a sustainable building material in an actual commercial building and the projected benefits achieved if replicated across the United States based on commercial construction market trends.
- Establishing statewide wood utilization teams and statewide wood energy teams. Only proposals from States without an existing (or former) team will be considered.
- Developing a cluster of wood energy projects in a geographic area or specific sector (e.g., prisons, hospitals, universities, manufacturing sector, or industrial sector).
- Overcoming market barriers and stimulating expansion of wood energy in the commercial sector.
ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS:
- For-profit entities
- State, and local governments
- Indian Tribes
- School districts
- Community, not-for-profit organizations
- Institutions of higher education
- Special purpose districts (e.g., public utility districts, fire districts, conservation districts, and ports)
MATCHING FUNDS:
The cost share is 50% of the total allowable costs.
FUNDING AVAILABLE AND APPLICATION WINDOW:
- FUNDING AVAILABILITY: Estimated Total Program Funding: $20,000,000; Award Ceiling: $300,000; Award Floor: $10,000
- APPLICATION DEADLINE: December 15, 2023
